Santa’s Post Office Opens in Germany

This message is to all the boys and girls of the world informing you that Santa’s (Weihnachtsmann in German) post office in Himmelfort, Germany is open to receive your holiday wishes. That means you can mail your letters to Santa about 6 weeks sooner than last year. Santa knows you’ve been good and wants to make sure he and his helpers receive your wish list early. The Deutsche Post (Germany’s postal service) organizes eight post offices across Germany employing people to answer all letters a child sends. This year they plan to receive over 250,000 letters from over 80 countries. Santa and his helpers are multi-lingual, speaking around 15 languages between them. In the beautiful town of Himmelpfort (heaven’s gate) north of Berlin, you can drop off your letter and visit Santa in person Tuesdays until Thursdays until Christmas Eve. In 1984, two childred from Berlin an dSaxony sent their wish lists to the German state of Brandenburg after spending vacation there. Their letters were answered by postal employees and later Himmelpfort increased it’s helpers to meet the needs of increased mail traffic. To moms and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and caretakers of children, rest assured that sustainability is on the mind of Santa and his crew. He will use an eco-friendly powered vehicle to collect the thousands of letters he receives every year from young boys and girls. Don’t worry, even though the economic situation is grim, Rudolph and the remaining reindeer won’t be made redundant Santa does not currently have an email, Twitter or a Facebook account, at least that we know of. He believes in old-fashioned communication so get out your pad of paper and write your wish list. Just make sure your letter is legible so you can receive an official response, send your letters to:

Santa (Weihnachtsmann)
Christmas Post Office (Weihnachtspostfiliale)
Himmelpfort, Germany 16798

Teen Gets Shopping Spree at Best Buy

 

A teenage boy who has Ewings Sarcoma recently had his wish granted for a Best Buy shopping spree. His wish was made possible with the help of national Charity Kids Wish Network.

In 2008, Felix developed a cough and noticed some pain in his arm. Upon visiting his doctor, a tumor was found and diagnosed as Ewings Sarcoma, which is a cancer of the muscles and connective tissues. Felix went through eight months of chemotherapy treatments and one and a half months of radiation. Felix said that he was at the hospital receiving treatments when his Child Life Specialist informed him that he would qualify for a wish through Kids Wish Network. I was in my chemo bed and my social worker came in and told me about it,” Felix said. “I was pretty excited.” It didn’t take long for Wish Coordinator Vanessa to get to work and find out that Felix’s wish was for a shopping spree to Best Buy. With some help from Wish Funding Specialist Donna, Felix was soon on his way to his spree. Felix said he chose a shopping spree because he wanted things for school. “I thought a spree would help me out with school, and Best Buy has very good stuff there,” he said. The shopping spree took place at the Best Buy on Fitzgerald Ave. in Pinole, and Felix had $1,000 to spend as he pleased. The store also provided Felix with a 15% discount on his purchases. “I got a 15 inch HP laptop and an XBOX with Madden 10. I also got this wireless network adaptor that goes with the XBOX so I can play live with other people around the world and play online,” Felix said. Out of all his purchases, Felix said that his laptop is his favorite. “It is my favorite thing because it’s going to help me out in school and the first time I saw it I was like, ‘wow,’” he said. Kids Wish Network also set up a lunch for Felix at a nearby Sizzler restaurant. Felix said that everyone at the restaurant and Best Buy was so nice and helped him throughout the day. “It was great. Everything was good I just had a great day yesterday,” he said. Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following for helping to make Felix’s wish extra special: Best Buy, Sizzler, Howard Orthopedics, Orton Development, Richmond Fire Department, Fraternal Order of Eagles 2323, Elks Lodge #1251 Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children. If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who may be in need of its wish granting services, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004. For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit their website at www.kidswishnetwork.org

3 Americans Share 2009 Nobel Medicine Prize

Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak were named winners of the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for research that has implications for cancer and aging research. Read the story: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33172906

 

Eiffel Tower Glows Red and White

Paris’ most famous landmark lights up red and white to honor a year-long program that introduces France to the culture of Turkey. MSNBC’s Dara Brown reports.

Source: MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

« Previous Page — Next Page »